Evaluating Police Protection during Boston Schools Desegregation
Weighing the Evidence
All documents and text associated with this activity are printed below, followed by a worksheet for student responses.Introduction
Throughout the 1970s, Boston Public Schools underwent a turbulent time of desegregation. Throughout this time period, there were many incidents of violence and intimidation against students, teachers, administrators, and others involved in the desegregation court case. Boston police, Massachusetts state police, and eventually U.S. marshals were brought in to protect citizens and allow schools to function. Even with police and marshals, some students and parents still felt unsafe and school attendance dropped dramatically.In this activity, you will examine and analyze primary source documents to determine if the government adequately protected students, teachers, and administrators during this time period.
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Worksheet
Evaluating Police Protection during Boston Schools Desegregation
Weighing the Evidence
Examine the documents and text included in this activity. Consider how each document does or does not support two opposing interpretations or conclusions. Fill in the topic or interpretations if they are not provided. To show how the documents support the different interpretations, enter the corresponding document number into the boxes near the interpretation. Write your conclusion response in the space provided. Interpretation 1
The government provided enough protection for the students, teachers and administrators involved.
The government provided enough protection for the students, teachers and administrators involved.
Did the government and police adequately protect to students, teachers, and administrators during the desegregation of the Boston Public Schools?
Interpretation 2
The government failed to adequately protect the students, teachers, and administrators involved.
The government failed to adequately protect the students, teachers, and administrators involved.
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Activity Element
Western Union Mailgram Sent to Governor Francis Sargent from Residents of the Columbia Point Housing Project
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2
Activity Element
Letter and Summary Report of Incidents of Intimidation of Teachers during the Desegregation of South Boston High School and the Abrahams School
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3
Activity Element
Report of Police Personnel Assigned to Operation Safety
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4
Activity Element
Massachusetts Department of Education Decision on Delayed Opening of School Year
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5
Activity Element
Letter from State Representative Raymond Flynn to Judge W. Arthur Garrity
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6
Activity Element
Letter from Kevin Moloney, Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Boston, to Judge W. Arthur Garrity
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7
Activity Element
Memorandum to the Court of the Inadvisability of the Use of National Guard Forces in the Event of Urban Civil Disorders and Unrest
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8
Activity Element
Memorandum Regarding Deployment of Police for South Boston
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Conclusion
Evaluating Police Protection during Boston Schools Desegregation
Weighing the Evidence
Now that you have completed the activity, summarize your position on police protection during the Boston schools desegregation. Support your position with evidence from the primary sources you have seen today.Your Response
Document
Western Union Mailgram Sent to Governor Francis Sargent from Residents of the Columbia Point Housing Project
9/16/1974
This mailgram requests U. S. Marshall intervention in the Boston Public Schools desegregation crisis. It comes from the court case Tallulah Morgan et al. v. James W. Hennigan et al. , known as the Boston Schools Desegregation Case. In 1972, parents of African American children brought a class action lawsuit alleging that the Boston School Committee violated the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by a deliberate policy of racial segregation. Judge W. Arthur Garrity, Jr. found that the Boston School Committee had intentionally carried out a program of segregation in the Boston Public Schools. The ruling, upheld unanimously by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, ordered the Boston School Committee to formulate a permanent school desegregation plan that addressed student assignment, teacher employment, and facility improvement procedures, as well as the use of busing on a citywide basis. The Boston School Committee failed to present an adequate plan, so the court assumed an active role in the formulation of the desegregation plan and oversaw implementation of court-ordered desegregation in the Boston public schools. This document was digitized by teachers in our Primarily Teaching 2014 Summer Workshop in Boston.
This primary source comes from the Records of District Courts of the United States.
National Archives Identifier: 12161234
Full Citation: Western Union Mailgram Sent to Governor Francis Sargent from Residents of the Columbia Point Housing Project; 9/16/1974; Tallulah Morgan et al v. James W. Hennigan et al Case File, 1972 - 1991; Civil Action Case Files, 1938 - 1998; Records of District Courts of the United States, ; National Archives at Boston, Waltham, MA. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/western-union-mailgram-governor-francis-sargent, April 19, 2024]Western Union Mailgram Sent to Governor Francis Sargent from Residents of the Columbia Point Housing Project
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Document
Letter and Summary Report of Incidents of Intimidation of Teachers during the Desegregation of South Boston High School and the Abrahams School
9/6/1974
This letter and summary report from Attorney John F. McMahon requests an in-chambers conference with Judge W. Arthur Garrity. It comes from the court case Tallulah Morgan et al. v. James W. Hennigan et al., known as the Boston Schools Desegregation Case. In 1972, parents of African American children brought a class action lawsuit alleging that the Boston School Committee violated the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by a deliberate policy of racial segregation. Judge W. Arthur Garrity, Jr. found that the Boston School Committee had intentionally carried out a program of segregation in the Boston Public Schools. The ruling, upheld unanimously by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, ordered the Boston School Committee to formulate a permanent school desegregation plan that addressed student assignment, teacher employment, and facility improvement procedures, as well as the use of busing on a citywide basis. The Boston School Committee failed to present an adequate plan, so the court assumed an active role in the formulation of the desegregation plan and oversaw implementation of court-ordered desegregation in the Boston public schools. This document was digitized by teachers in our Primarily Teaching 2014 Summer Workshop in Boston.
This primary source comes from the Records of the District Courts of the United States.
National Archives Identifier: 12161243
Full Citation: Letter and Summary Report of Incidents of Intimidation of Teachers during the Desegregation of South Boston High School and the Abrahams School; 9/6/1974; Tallulah Morgan et al v. James W. Hennigan et al Case File, 1972 - 1991; Civil Action Case Files, 1938 - 1998; Records of the District Courts of the United States, ; National Archives at Boston (RE-BO), Waltham, MA. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/letter-summary-report-intimidation-teachers-desegregation, April 19, 2024]Letter and Summary Report of Incidents of Intimidation of Teachers during the Desegregation of South Boston High School and the Abrahams School
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Letter and Summary Report of Incidents of Intimidation of Teachers during the Desegregation of South Boston High School and the Abrahams School
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Letter and Summary Report of Incidents of Intimidation of Teachers during the Desegregation of South Boston High School and the Abrahams School
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Letter and Summary Report of Incidents of Intimidation of Teachers during the Desegregation of South Boston High School and the Abrahams School
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Letter and Summary Report of Incidents of Intimidation of Teachers during the Desegregation of South Boston High School and the Abrahams School
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Letter and Summary Report of Incidents of Intimidation of Teachers during the Desegregation of South Boston High School and the Abrahams School
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Document
Report of Police Personnel Assigned to Operation Safety
9/8/1975
This document consists of a daily report of the Boston Police Department of the number of Boston Police, Metropolitan District Commission Police (M. D. C.), and State Police assigned to ensure the safety of students in the Boston Public Schools, in the civil action case of Tallulah Morgan et al. v. James W. Hennigan et al., also known as the Boston Schools Desegregation Case. In 1972, parents of African American children brought a class action lawsuit alleging that the Boston School Committee violated the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by a deliberate policy of racial segregation. Judge W. Arthur Garrity, Jr. found that the Boston School Committee had intentionally carried out a program of segregation in the Boston Public Schools. The ruling, upheld unanimously by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, ordered the Boston School Committee to formulate a permanent school desegregation plan that addressed student assignment, teacher employment, and facility improvement procedures, as well as the use of busing on a citywide basis. The Boston School Committee failed to present an adequate plan, so the court assumed an active role in the formulation of the desegregation plan and oversaw implementation of court-ordered desegregation in the Boston public schools.
This primary source comes from the Records of District Courts of the United States.
National Archives Identifier: 4713948
Full Citation: Report of Police Personnel Assigned to Operation Safety; 9/8/1975; Tallulah Morgan et al v. James W. Hennigan et al Case File, 1972 - 1991; Civil Action Case Files, 1938 - 1998; Records of District Courts of the United States, . [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/report-of-police-personnel-assigned-to-operation-safety, April 19, 2024]Report of Police Personnel Assigned to Operation Safety
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Document
Massachusetts Department of Education Decision on Delayed Opening of School Year
8/6/1975
This document consists of the decision of the Massachusetts Department of Education regarding a request to delay the opening of the Boston Public Schools for ten days for teacher training, in the civil action case of Tallulah Morgan et al. v. James W. Hennigan et al., also known as the Boston Schools Desegregation Case. In 1972, parents of African American children brought a class action lawsuit alleging that the Boston School Committee violated the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by a deliberate policy of racial segregation. Judge W. Arthur Garrity, Jr. found that the Boston School Committee had intentionally carried out a program of segregation in the Boston Public Schools. The ruling, upheld unanimously by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, ordered the Boston School Committee to formulate a permanent school desegregation plan that addressed student assignment, teacher employment, and facility improvement procedures, as well as the use of busing on a citywide basis. The Boston School Committee failed to present an adequate plan, so the court assumed an active role in the formulation of the desegregation plan and oversaw implementation of court-ordered desegregation in the Boston public schools.
This primary source comes from the Records of District Courts of the United States.
National Archives Identifier: 4713934
Full Citation: Massachusetts Department of Education Decision on Delayed Opening of School Year; 8/6/1975; Tallulah Morgan et al v. James W. Hennigan et al Case File, 1972 - 1991; Civil Action Case Files, 1938 - 1998; Records of District Courts of the United States, . [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/massachusetts-department-of-education-decision-on-delayed-opening-of-school-year, April 19, 2024]Massachusetts Department of Education Decision on Delayed Opening of School Year
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Document
Letter from State Representative Raymond Flynn to Judge W. Arthur Garrity
1/2/1975
This letter from State Representative Raymond Flynn discusses the Boston Police Department's request to close the South Boston High School complex. It comes from the court case Tallulah Morgan et al. v. James W. Hennigan et al., known as the Boston Schools Desegregation Case. In 1972, parents of African American children brought a class action lawsuit alleging that the Boston School Committee violated the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by a deliberate policy of racial segregation. Judge W. Arthur Garrity, Jr. found that the Boston School Committee had intentionally carried out a program of segregation in the Boston Public Schools. The ruling, upheld unanimously by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, ordered the Boston School Committee to formulate a permanent school desegregation plan that addressed student assignment, teacher employment, and facility improvement procedures, as well as the use of busing on a citywide basis. The Boston School Committee failed to present an adequate plan, so the court assumed an active role in the formulation of the desegregation plan and oversaw implementation of court-ordered desegregation in the Boston public schools. This document was digitized by teachers in our Primarily Teaching 2014 Summer Workshop in Boston.
This primary source comes from the Records of District Courts of the United States.
National Archives Identifier: 12161254
Full Citation: Letter from State Representative Raymond Flynn to Judge W. Arthur Garrity; 1/2/1975; Tallulah Morgan et al v. James W. Hennigan et al Case File, 1972 - 1991; Civil Action Case Files, 1938 - 1998; Records of District Courts of the United States, ; National Archives at Boston, Waltham, MA. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/letter-state-representative-flynn-judge-w-arthur-garrity, April 19, 2024]Letter from State Representative Raymond Flynn to Judge W. Arthur Garrity
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Letter from State Representative Raymond Flynn to Judge W. Arthur Garrity
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Document
Letter from Kevin Moloney, Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Boston, to Judge W. Arthur Garrity
1/22/1975
This cover letter from the Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Boston discusses police manpower levels and refers to recommendations made by city officials John Kehoe and Laurence Carpenter. It comes from the court case Tallulah Morgan et al. v. James W. Hennigan et al., known as the Boston Schools Desegregation Case. In 1972, parents of African American children brought a class action lawsuit alleging that the Boston School Committee violated the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by a deliberate policy of racial segregation. Judge W. Arthur Garrity, Jr. found that the Boston School Committee had intentionally carried out a program of segregation in the Boston Public Schools. The ruling, upheld unanimously by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, ordered the Boston School Committee to formulate a permanent school desegregation plan that addressed student assignment, teacher employment, and facility improvement procedures, as well as the use of busing on a citywide basis. The Boston School Committee failed to present an adequate plan, so the court assumed an active role in the formulation of the desegregation plan and oversaw implementation of court-ordered desegregation in the Boston public schools. This document was digitized by teachers in our Primarily Teaching 2014 Summer Workshop in Boston.
This primary source comes from the Records of District Courts of the United States.
National Archives Identifier: 12161214
Full Citation: Letter from Kevin Moloney, Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Boston, to Judge W. Arthur Garrity; 1/22/1975; Tallulah Morgan et al v. James W. Hennigan et al Case File, 1972 - 1991; Civil Action Case Files, 1938 - 1998; Records of District Courts of the United States, ; National Archives at Boston, Waltham, MA. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/letter-kevin-moloney, April 19, 2024]Letter from Kevin Moloney, Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Boston, to Judge W. Arthur Garrity
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Letter from Kevin Moloney, Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Boston, to Judge W. Arthur Garrity
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Document
Memorandum to the Court of the Inadvisability of the Use of National Guard Forces in the Event of Urban Civil Disorders and Unrest
10/16/1974
This memorandum from Mayor Kevin White's attorney to the court advises against National Guard intervention in the Boston schools desegregation crisis. It comes from the court case Tallulah Morgan et al. v. James W. Hennigan et al., known as the Boston Schools Desegregation Case. In 1972, parents of African American children brought a class action lawsuit alleging that the Boston School Committee violated the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by a deliberate policy of racial segregation. Judge W. Arthur Garrity, Jr. found that the Boston School Committee had intentionally carried out a program of segregation in the Boston Public Schools. The ruling, upheld unanimously by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, ordered the Boston School Committee to formulate a permanent school desegregation plan that addressed student assignment, teacher employment, and facility improvement procedures, as well as the use of busing on a citywide basis. The Boston School Committee failed to present an adequate plan, so the court assumed an active role in the formulation of the desegregation plan and oversaw implementation of court-ordered desegregation in the Boston public schools." This document was digitized by teachers in our Primarily Teaching 2014 Summer Workshop in Boston.
This primary source comes from the Records of District Courts of the United States.
National Archives Identifier: 12161218
Full Citation: Memorandum to the Court of the Inadvisability of the Use of National Guard Forces in the Event of Urban Civil Disorders and Unrest; 10/16/1974; Tallulah Morgan et al v. James W. Hennigan et al Case File, 1972 - 1991; Civil Action Case Files, 1938 - 1998; Records of District Courts of the United States, ; National Archives at Boston, Waltham, MA. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/memorandum-inadvisability-national-guard, April 19, 2024]Memorandum to the Court of the Inadvisability of the Use of National Guard Forces in the Event of Urban Civil Disorders and Unrest
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Memorandum to the Court of the Inadvisability of the Use of National Guard Forces in the Event of Urban Civil Disorders and Unrest
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Memorandum to the Court of the Inadvisability of the Use of National Guard Forces in the Event of Urban Civil Disorders and Unrest
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Memorandum to the Court of the Inadvisability of the Use of National Guard Forces in the Event of Urban Civil Disorders and Unrest
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Memorandum to the Court of the Inadvisability of the Use of National Guard Forces in the Event of Urban Civil Disorders and Unrest
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Memorandum to the Court of the Inadvisability of the Use of National Guard Forces in the Event of Urban Civil Disorders and Unrest
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Memorandum to the Court of the Inadvisability of the Use of National Guard Forces in the Event of Urban Civil Disorders and Unrest
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Memorandum to the Court of the Inadvisability of the Use of National Guard Forces in the Event of Urban Civil Disorders and Unrest
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Memorandum to the Court of the Inadvisability of the Use of National Guard Forces in the Event of Urban Civil Disorders and Unrest
Page 9
Memorandum to the Court of the Inadvisability of the Use of National Guard Forces in the Event of Urban Civil Disorders and Unrest
Page 10
Document
Memorandum Regarding Deployment of Police for South Boston
1/8/1975
This memo comes from the court case Tallulah Morgan et al. v. James W. Hennigan et al., known as the Boston Schools Desegregation Case. In 1972, parents of African American children brought a class action lawsuit alleging that the Boston School Committee violated the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by a deliberate policy of racial segregation. Judge W. Arthur Garrity, Jr. found that the Boston School Committee had intentionally carried out a program of segregation in the Boston Public Schools. The ruling, upheld unanimously by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, ordered the Boston School Committee to formulate a permanent school desegregation plan that addressed student assignment, teacher employment, and facility improvement procedures, as well as the use of busing on a citywide basis. The Boston School Committee failed to present an adequate plan, so the court assumed an active role in the formulation of the desegregation plan and oversaw implementation of court-ordered desegregation in the Boston public schools.
This primary source comes from the Records of District Courts of the United States.
National Archives Identifier: 4835136
Full Citation: Memorandum Regarding Deployment of Police for South Boston; 1/8/1975; Tallulah Morgan et al v. James W. Hennigan et al Case File, 1972 - 1991; Civil Action Case Files, 1938 - 1998; Records of District Courts of the United States, . [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/memorandum-regarding-deployment-of-police-for-south-boston, April 19, 2024]Memorandum Regarding Deployment of Police for South Boston
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